This invention relates to mercuric halide lasers and more particularly to a dissociation laser in HgCl, HgBr, and HgI which is excited by preionized gases containing nitrogen with a subsequent transverse electric discharge.
Heretofore mercuric halide gas vapor lasers have been excited by high-intensity electron beams. Such systems have been set forth in the following published articles: (1) "Laser Action on the B.sup.2 .SIGMA..sup.+ 1/2.fwdarw.X.sup.2 .SIGMA..sup.+ 1/2 Band of HgCl at 5576 A," by J. H. Parks, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 192-194, 1 Aug. 1977. (2) "Laser Action on the B.sup.2 .SIGMA..sup.+ 1/2.fwdarw.X.sup.2 .SIGMA..sup.+ 1/2 Band of HgBr at 5018 A", by J. H. Parks, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp 287-290, 15 Aug. 1977. (3) "Green HgCl (B.sup.2 .SIGMA..sup.+ .fwdarw.X.sup.2 .SIGMA..sup.+) Lasers", by J. Gary Eden, Applied Physics Letters Vol. 31, No. 7, pp 448-450, 1 Oct. 1977.
Another laser system has been used in which laser action on the B.sup.2 .SIGMA..sup.+ .fwdarw.X.sup.2 .SIGMA.+ transition was achieved by photo-dissociating HgBr.sub.2 in the vapor phase by use of an ArF excimer laser. High efficiency of laser action was limited by the pump efficiency. Such a laser system has been set forth in an article, "Mercuric Bromide Photodissociation laser", by E. J. Schimitschek, J. E. Celto and J. A. Trias, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 31, No. 9, pp 608-610, 1 Nov. 1977.